Catherine Ngugi - OER in Africa use and re-use for Library Services

1

OER in Africa: Use & Re-use for Library Services

IAU Validation Workshop OER for Academic Librarians

Accra, Ghana12 – 13 September 2013

2

OER Africa is:

An innovative initiative of Saide Headquartered in Nairobi,

Kenya Established to play a leading

role in driving the development and use of OER in Africa.

Funded by the William & Flora Hewlett Foundation, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and a variety of projects and partnerships across Africa.

3

• Educational resources freely available for use by educators and learners, without an accompanying need to pay royalties or licence fees.

• OER is not synonymous with online learning or e-learning;

• Within an African context, anticipated that many resources produced – while shareable in a digital format (both online and via offline formats such as CD-ROM) – will be printable.

The OER Concept

4

• African universities are dealing with significant pressure to increase access to HE programmes

• Most institutions are having to increase enrolments despite structural under-funding to discharge this core function effectively

• Most programmes (including many at postgraduate level) rely heavily on lecturing as a primary mode of transmission of content

Setting the Scene

5

• Much existing content available to and within African universities based on weak and largely outmoded educational design principles.

• Limited ICT infrastructure to gain access to up-to-date information or participate in inter-institutional, geographically dispersed collaborative activities.

Why increase investment in T & L?

6

1. READ Course Materials

5. PRODUCE / PERFORM

APPROPRIATELY

4. PRACTICE new skills

3. ENGAGE in learning

conversations

2. EXPLORE within the discipline

Facilitating Learning v HE Challenges

Educators want students

to:

7

Read Course Materials

This used to mean:

1. READ Course Materials

the textbook and prescribed readings …

8

…today this means…1. READ Course Materials

9

Read Course Materials

… now we can also use… Both commercial and open education services are available to help students access top quality academic materials.

1. READ Course Materials

10

http://www.teachthought.com/technology/51-education-podcasts-for-the-21st-century-teacher/

11

Explore: Discipline Specific Portals2. EXPLORE within the discipline

http://www.thelancet.com/global-health

12

13

14

15

16

http://www.tessafrica.net/

17

18

• Khan Academy• Saylor Foundation• UCT Open Content• Wikiversity

OER & Short Course Repositories

19

Explore: Open Access

There is a wealth of information available as Open Access Research, including resources from many of the world’s top universities.

3. ENGAGE in learning

conversations http://mooc.org/

21

• This used to mean a discussion in a tutorial or lab session or individual consultations

Learning Conversations

• but now new technologies offer a richer experience..

- Online discussions- Online chats- Blogging- Text messages- e-Mail

Social Software Networks

3. ENGAGE in learning

conversations

22

4. Practicing Skills4. PRACTICE new

skills

23

Afroes – www.afroes.com4. PRACTICE new

skills

4. PRACTICE new skills

25

6. Perform 5. PRODUCE /

PERFORM APPROPRIATELY

26

• Open licensing provides a cost-effective means to increase investment in creating more effective teaching and learning environments using resource-based learning.

• To be effective and sustainable, such strategic decisions will likely need to be accompanied by review of institutional policies.

Why institutionalize OER?

27

New roles and ways of working

Role of Librarian Providing Content Space Services Skills

Yesterday’s Librarian:Used to be print-based:

Booksaccess to secure resources

library buildings: used for work for collection for storage

how to find those books Subject, customer and leadershipOthers?

28

OER has the Potential Role of Librarian Providing Content Space Services Skills

Today’s Information Professional electronic format:

e-books, journals and databases,

physical digital space: access to content managing and

preserving content created by institutions

preserving the nation's cultural heritage

training and teaching people to use and access information

Subject, customer and leadership Higher level IT skills, e.g. digital preservation Presenting relevant digital information & digital materials to users in a customised way

Overlap between library and IT services

hybrid of both print and digital resources

zoned study environments: traditionally silent

areas open access multi-media

equipment

network services and digitalised content

Teaching: Information

Literacy Appraisal skills

Digital content, remote content, 24 hour accessibility to content

up to date with latest web-based technology

Marketing the library

Here at Last!

30

WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS?

31

Thank youCatherine Ngugi

OER Africa Project Directorcatherine.ngugi@oerafrica.org

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License.

32

33

4. PRACTICE new skills